Devices with pci cards--not communicating.

[Srinivas Burugupalli]

Hi,

I have two devices A and B (linux based 2.4 kernel and hostap drivers 0.1.3
version) which have netgate's 2511MP Plus cards. I have a notebook which is
configured in an ad hoc mode. Then I power on the devices one by one and
configure them in ad hoc mode in the same channel and essid. Since the
notebook is now the leader, all three have the same essid as the
notebook.(All devices are on the same subet of IP addresses) What is
surprising is, The devices A and B ping the notebook and viceversa but the
devices don't ping among themselves. And what is yet more bizzare is when I
switch the notebook off, the devices take different essid's (which are not
same). These essid's are not even same as their own MAC addresses and I
don't know where they get it from. 

I am totally clueless as to what is happening. Any help in explaining this
would be greatly appreciated as I am stuck.

Thank you very much in anticipation
-Srinivas